World PCB production with flat growth in 2008

Editor: Anke Schröter

Worldwide production of PCBs was flat in 2008, climbing a negligible 1% over 2007 to $50.8 billion, according to the World PCB Production & Laminate Market Report for the Year 2008, released this week by IPC.

Published annually, the report includes estimates of PCB production value and laminate market by product type and by country to help industry members identify and quantify global PCB material and process equipment opportunities and constraints. The value of PCB production in 2009 is expected to end in a double-digit decline from 2008.
China’s share of PCB production continued to grow in 2008 to 31.4% of world production, while most other countries’ shares either held steady or declined. Japan is the second biggest producer with 22.5%. Asia now has 84% of the world’s PCB production value. North American and European PCB production declined slightly, holding 8% and 7% shares, respectively, in 2008.
High-density interconnect (HDI) was one of the few growth markets in the PCB industry in 2008 with production heavily concentrated in Asia.
The value of PCB production in Europe declined approximately 10% in real terms in 2008. In North America, the production decline was about 6.5%, while the North American market declined by around 5.3%, suggesting that production levels were affected by both a shrinking home market and continued movement of production to other regions. IC substrates and high-performance PCBs were the only growth areas in North American PCB production in 2008.